Make a change in the world

Oakville Beaver

There is nothing I can do about it — I have heard that said so many times regarding just about everything. “There is nothing I can do about the world’s problems,” or, “There is nothing I can do to become a better person.”

It is the biggest lie we tell ourselves, almost on a daily basis; so much so that sometimes we actually believe it. I’m sure at one point in his life, Craig Keilburger thought he was unable to help the children in Africa, or Ghandi was convinced the British regime controlling India would never end and he was too small or insignificant to protest against the occupation.

The one question both of those individuals asked themselves was, “Why can I do nothing to help solve this problem? Why must I sit here, watching, waiting and not being a part of the solution?”

Having come short of finding a legitimate answer, both men resolved to change and begin to be a major part of the solution to the problems they faced.

Keilburger started a not-for-profit organization called Free the Children which has, in many aspects, changed the world, while Ghandi proved himself a very large and influential person, capable of establishing drastic change by using peace as his guide and empathy as his path. Both have since inspired many others to follow in their footsteps and be activists of change and better the world.

From the simplest task of cleaning your room and donating old clothing to a monumental effort that provides relief to refugees around the world, there is always something we can do.

Every time we say we can’t or we are unable to do anything, those just excuses. Get out there, be an activist, and change the world. — your world, for you, by you.

Being an activist doesn’t have to mean doing something elaborate in protest, it can mean simply taking an active role in changing your world for the better. Keilburger and Ghandi took on major roles and truly defined what it means to be a global activist, but it’s not a role for everyone.

To play a part in changing the world, many people are needed to take a stand at a community level, to help those in need or bring awareness of the problem.

By educating your community or taking a stand locally, you are a part of a global team, all working towards finding a solution for your specific problem.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” – Ryunosuke Satoro, poet.

If you are a teacher or student interested in participating in an upcoming Kids Speak Out - School News column featured in the Beaver, please e-mail Tom Dykes at ellergreen58@gmail.com.